Broadband connection on fast trains

2012-05-02

A train is rushing along at 200 km/h. Aboard the train, some two hundred people are using their laptops and smartphones. At the same time, remote monitoring is checking the train engine, the need to replenish restaurant supplies, the status of the toilets and much more. Mile after mile – without interruption.

Some ten years ago, communications to and from trains did not function very well. But thanks to a platform from Icomera, a stable connection with good bandwidth is now available to passengers and staff. In order to ensure a stable connection, the platform switches between different mobile operator networks and uses the fastest access available along the train’s route.

More and more applications

– Now this has really boomed. The number of customers and applications is constantly on the rise, says Martin Bergek, responsible for marketing and product development at Icomera.

From the establishment of Icomera in 1999 to this day, the company has developed into a true entrepreneurial company. The Icomera platform is in use in more than 20 countries providing WiFi internet access to more than 25 million users. In the wake of this technological innovation, a number of businesses are developing different types of applications for the platform.

Business and pleasure

In addition to being able to surf the internet, train passengers can now rent films and pass the time enjoying other entertainment. But the changes affecting the staff are even bigger. For instance, if the train is ten minutes late, the staff can see how the delay will affect the passengers’ connecting transports, and as a result, they can suggest alternative solutions to the passengers. Remote monitoring provides information about the need to replenish restaurant supplies and it checks the power supply of the train engine etcetera.

The Icomera platform has been sold in many parts of the world, and today, it is not just used in trains. It is also available in buses and ambulances as well as in other vehicles. In buses, the technology is used for varying purposes, for instance in on-board surveillance cameras and for introducing eco-driving to the drivers.

Applications on the move

– We patented this technology as early as in 1999. We use the existing mobile networks in the country in question and offer a platform where the customer themselves can use different on-the-move applications or choose to engage another supplier for that, says Mats Karlsson, responsible for business development and sales, and the father of the Icomera platform.